Ballots to remain uncounted in MI and Stein blocked in Philly. Guest: Election integrity, law expert Paul Lehto says this proves 'only option is to get it right on Election Night'. Also: Trump taps climate denier, fossil-fuel tool for EPA...

Against his doctor's advice, a stooped and feeble Sen. Mario Gallegos arrives at the state Capitol each day, just to make sure the Senate does not take up a bill that would require voters to produce ID at the polls. And when the rigors of the job start to wear on the Houston Democrat, whose body is rejecting a liver transplanted four months ago, he retires to a hospital-style bed — donated by a Republican colleague — in a room next to the Senate chamber. From there, he can be summoned at a moment's notice should his vote be needed. In a life-and-death drama playing out under the Capitol dome, Gallegos is putting his health at risk to block a measure that he and others say could prevent many minorities and the elderly from taking part in elections in Texas.

I’ve mentioned Senator Gallegos here a couple of times now. Texas law requires that two-thirds of the State Senators must agree before a bill can come to the floor for debate. The Democrats have just enough members to block the bill. The bill now appears to be in trouble because the bill must come to the floor by midnight tonight in order to be considered. Senator Gallegos is a true hero.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHT FROM BRAD: The Gallegos story is extraordinary. A must read. I don't have anything substantive to add, but I just wanted to underscore John's thoughts on what a champion this man is. For both Texas and America.

More on that mess in Texas, and many other voting news stories of note today, all linked below...

Ireland: Result may take days as Ireland votes with a ‘stupid old pencil’ LINK

**"Daily Voting News" is meant as a comprehensive listing of reports each day concerning issues related to election and voting news around the country regardless of quality or political slant. Therefore, items listed in "Daily Voting News" may not reflect the opinions of VotersUnite.Org or BradBlog.Com**

Keep in mind the Deseret News is one of the two SLC papers. This is the one owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints (Mormons), the same people who brought Dick Cheney to speak at the graduation at Brigham Young University (after the White House called and asked for an invite). The finest (scariest) line is the one before the last paragraph.

Maybe Al Sharpton needs to go back to Utah for another conversation.

*****

Deseret Morning News, Thursday, May 24, 2007

Vote 'no' on paper ballots

Deseret Morning News editorial

Should the state of Utah be forced to lay out millions of dollars to create paper "backups" of its electronic voting ballots?

No.

The idea is the brainchild of people — on a national level — who are uncomfortable with advances in technology. And besides, experience has shown that paper ballots can be an even bigger headache than the electronic versions.

The concern is understandable, of course. New inventions make nervous Nellies of us all. People once feared that microwave ovens would make them sterile or that garage door openers might lead to cancer. Humorist James Thurber recalled that his mother would never leave light sockets open in the house because she was convinced electricity would leak out, costing her money and threatening her health.

Such things are often the source of urban folk legends. Trepidation before the unknown is a natural human reaction.

Overcoming that trepidation, however, is the mark of education and understanding.

Right now, some people are worried there are gremlins in the current voting machines — that electronic voting is unreliable and open to tampering. They spout anecdotal evidence of irregularities here and there to fuel their fear and want paper ballot backups to fend off any conspirators. It's the same kind of itchy-witchy thinking that leads people to hide bags of money under their mattresses.

And dare we say that almost all of those those skittish souls are likely older than 40? The younger generation sees the outcry for the tangible comfort of paper ballots as a hallmark of the fuddy-duddy. The notion sounds, to young ears, like people demanding election results be chiseled into granite for security.

We agree.

Utahns do not have the time, money or obligation to create a "security blanket" of paper ballots for Luddites to wrap around themselves in the night. The electronic voting era is upon us. Our state leaders have done a superb job of getting the new system up and running and trouble-shooting glitches as they have surfaced.

We suggest a little more faith and a little less fright.

Those wringing their hands should take a couple of aspirins and relax by counting their mattress money.